Eighteen members of the same family have reportedly been killed by Israeli tank shelling in Gaza moments before the start of a tense 12-hour ceasefire.

As the Palestinian death toll in the 19-day conflict reached 883, Gaza's Health Ministry said the 18 relatives died in the southern Gaza Strip shortly before the truce took effect at 6am UK time. An Israeli military spokeswoman said she was checking the report.

Neighbours of the Al-Najar family, which the Health Ministry said had been trapped inside their house in Khuzaa village east of Khan Younis since Thursday, watched as rescue workers removed bodies from the rubble of their home using a mechanical digger.